Vermont Technical College will join with Castleton University and Northern Vermont University to become Vermont State University on July 1, 2023. Learn more and apply for fall 2023.
Distance education at Vermont Tech is a key delivery model of many of our programs, including nursing, respiratory therapy, and several workforce development apprenticeship programs.
Distance education is delivered many ways
- Synchronous (students participate together in real time)
- Asynchronous (students access individually on their own schedule)
- Online
- Hybrid
- Via videoconferencing technology or “Telepresence”
A Telepresence classroom is one that has the capability to connect to another classroom (or rooms), synchronously, using videoconferencing equipment and software to support an interactive student learning experience.
This delivery model enables a Vermont Tech student to be sitting in one of our 11 telepresence classrooms across Vermont and their faculty and peers to be in a different classroom miles away.
Telepresence classroom technology includes:
- Cameras
- Desktop microphones
- Speakers
- Large flat screen monitors
- Videoconferencing software
Connecting Students with Faculty
Faculty connect two to several classrooms at the same time during a scheduled class period. Students are able to see their instructor, ask questions, participate in discussion, take exams, and present projects to the class, live.
Vermont Tech Nursing program’s use of distance education is also paired with in-person instruction. Our nursing faculty travel between site locations to rotate the classroom from which they are teaching. This gives all the students a chance to be face-to-face with their faculty often during the course.
The Same High-Quality Education
The curricula offered at Vermont Tech’s telepresence sites are the same as those offered at the face-to-face campuses/classrooms and results in the same degree/certificate. Telepresence allows Vermont Tech to offer quality education in local communities so that students do not need to take on an excessive commute to progress in their education.